2 year old Tulip...

We can't believe she's already two.
Tulip is carrying on conversations, climbing on everything and has quite the sense of humor. She thinks everyone is her friend and amuses her parents every day!

JULY 29, 2009

Last month we had some crazy hot weather. The hottest it got was 105º.


This is what our thermometer read in the shade...

Visit from our cousins

Takayuki-san, Asako-san and their kids Yohei, Kosuke and Marin visited us this weekend. We had a great time just hanging out together. We had a barbeque on Saturday at mom's house. The kids played teather ball, played in the kiddie pool and did some chalk artwork.

We're always sad to part ways after our visits but are thankful for the time that we do get to spend together!

setting up the grill

teather ball!

filling up the pool

Marin watching from the sidelines

and the clothes come off...

watching Madagascar... again.

taking a picture with 4 kids is a lot harder than it seems!

one last family photo

hugging good-bye (Yohei didn't want to leave)

cool picture, eh?

Garden - first stage

So check out what we've been doing to our yard. We rented a sod lifter and cut our garden design out... well, Paul cut it out. There was no way I could manage that machine! It did in less than an hour (not including the sod removal and clean up) what it would have taken us days to carve out by hand. Thank goodness for tools... and my strong husband. I never realized how heavy sod is! He also did a beautiful job with the lines - better than my lines on paper.

It's a work in process but it's a good start - we'll be posting process shots as we go.

Talitha

Our friends Jennifer and Noe had their first baby today! Her name is Talitha Kumi Astorga. She weighs 6lbs 15oz and is 19 inches long. She's the sweetest little thing and we are so happy for their new little family! Here are some pics...

our two new additions to the family

These are Japanese flowering crab apple trees.

How's this for a family photo...

Spring Time

So, it's been a while since our last post. The weather has been nice to us and we've been spending more time in our yard. We bought two new trees that we hope to plant this Sunday. In the meantime, here's what's sprouting in our yard...

No, that's not snow on our clematis...

...they are sweet little fragrant flowers



jonquils aka narcissus


been waiting all Winter for these to bloom...


these too.



this tulip was a nice surprise -
didn't know there were tulips in the backyard!





grape hyacinth


King Alfred daffodils


hana and the bleeding hearts


and our Japanese Maple is sprouting new leaves